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SBI MLS Best XI of the Month (March)

MauroDiaz1 (ISIPhotos.com)

By IVES GALARCEP

The Columbus Crew enjoyed a perfect 3-0 month of March and they landed one player on the SBI MLS Best XI of the Month for March for each win they registered.

SBI MLS Player of the Week Federico Higuain leads a group of Crew players that includes Michael Parkhurst and young midfielder Wil Trapp.

Americans dominated the first month’s Best XI, with a total of eight domestic players making the list. Of those eight, only FC Dallas central defender Matt Hedges doesn’t have either a U.S. Men’s Nationa Team cap or experience with U.S. youth national teams.

Here is the SBI MLS Best XI of the Month for March:

 SBI MLS Best XI of the Month (March) 

—————————Federico Higuain—————————-

—–Mauro Diaz———Michael Bradley———–Joao Plata—

—————-Kyle Beckerman—–Wil Trapp———————–

Kofi Sarkodie—————————————–DeAndre Yedlin

—————–Matt Hedges——-Michael Parkhurst————–

——————————Luis Robles——————————-

SECOND TEAM

————–Jermain Defoe————Erick Torres——————

Justin Mapp————–Mauro Rosales——————Lloyd Sam

——————————Maurice Edu——————————–

Waylon Francis—————————————Steve Beitashour

——————–Nat Borchers—-Stephen Caldwell—————–

—————————–Nick Rimando——————————-

HONORABLE MENTION

Steve Clark, Chris Seitz, Tony Beltran, Amobi Okugo, Justin Morrow, Ray Gaddis, Dillon Powers, Vincent Noguiera, Pedro Morales, Fabian Castillo, Bernardo Anor, Vicente Sanchez, Benny Feilhaber, Alvaro Saborio, Obafemi Martins, Quincy Amarikwa, Dom Dwyer.

—————–

What do you think of the March SBI MLS Best XI? Who are you happy to see make the list? Who do you think should have made the cut that we left out?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. As a union fan, Mo, Ray, Amobi, and Vincent all deserve there spots on the list. From what I saw this month Leo Fernandes is right up there with them. Wouldn’t be surprised to see Leo makih these kinds of lists as soon as he can get a hold of a starting spot.

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  2. If Doneil Henry had an American passport instead of a Canadian one he would be getting all kinds of love from MLS analysts. He is 20 and has hardly put a foot wrong all season.

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    • Why does everyone always assume their favorite player was left out because of bias? Maybe people just rate other centerbacks higher?

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  3. 4-2-3-1. wow…I think I’m so used to seeing mlssoccer.com’s 3-4-3 formation in their best xi that I am speechless…

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    • Generally speaking we try to have four defenders on any Best XI we do, and we’ll definitely have some variation of either a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 for the monthly Best XI.

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      • Really appreciate when people actually use a common formation for the league they are making a best XI for so congrats on that. Nobody in MLS uses 3 at the back yet sites will use that formation for TOTW, makes no sense.

  4. As an RSL guy, I would have to pick Schuler over Borchers as far as CB’s go. He has been outstanding so far this season. Hope his left foot can withstand the rigors of the regular season.

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  5. He doesnt have the stats to back it up but I think benny was awesome all month in kc. Probably the best he has looked in mls so far. All over the field.

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  6. Plata looked like he had the goods from the get, but he’s small so sometimes I wonder if he just got overlooked by teams preferring size over skill. Especially my team, which somehow loves bringing in Toronto FC players otherwise.

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  7. Good selections Ives, but how about Pedro Morales? I thought he has been brilliant for Vancouver and has been the focal point of their surprising start. I think Plata has had a great start to the season, but if these were my selections I think he would be the one I’d replace.

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  8. Thanks for doing this. You have Mauro Rosales listed for second team and honorable mention. Why did Seattle let Rosales go? Another steal – RSL getting Joao Plata from Toronto FC.

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    • Thanks for spotting that Tim. As for why Seattle let him go, good question. Didn’t have a good year last year and it didn’t seem like he and Sigi Schmid were on the same page last year.

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    • Who would you have rather have gotten rid of Dempsey, Obafemi, Alonso or Rosales. Considering Rosales age and the lack of Heady letting Rosales go makes the most sense.

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  9. Good list, FCD well represented. Would have liked to see Michel make the HM but he had a fairly quiet beginning in March and is well on his way to making that April list.

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  10. Ives,
    Can you explain choosing Robles over Rimando? Not nitpicking, but Rimando leads in nearly every statistical category and is clearly (at least to many observers) the better netminder.

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    • Stats don’t tell the story of a goalkeeper. Rimando had a monster first game, but Robles has made outstanding saves in every game for the Red Bulls, and is a key reason they have the points they currently have. It was a toss-up, and Robles got the nod. It was close, could have gone either way, but Robles was the pick.

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    • “the better netminder” is pretty irrelevant for something like this. Robles has been saving NY’s bacon left and right this season, making huge save after huge save.

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  11. He missed the crazy Seattle v Portland match, but based on the other games I think Remick is actually playing better than Yedlin.

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    • Yedlin’s been getting beat more than last year and he hasn’t had Rosales to work with on the right side so I think he’s taken a step back. Remick has been pretty solid for technically a rookie and has been much better defensively. People don’t know he’s faster than Yedlin but just not as quick. He’s had much better delivery on his long balls and crosses than Yedlin but some of his short passing hasn’t been that great.

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      • Remick: 5/15 Crosses, 1/7 Long Balls
        Yedlin: 9/21 Crosses, 4/14 Long Balls, 2/2 Through balls.

        Categorically false. Naaarrrrrattttttiiiiiivvvvvvve.

      • Facts have no place on a comment thread. My gut tells me Yedlin was a worse passer, so therefore it’s true!

      • Mark: Those are quite interesting stats. Thanks for compiling them.

        But I think we’re going to need a lot more data before we can conclude who is better. Please also look up:

        1. how often the two backs pulled defenders out of position on their runs, and how they timed it,

        2. how well they marked to prevent opponents from even considering making a pass down their wing,

        3. how well they supported the centerbacks and mids so they could go in a make tackles,

        4. how often they sent a good cross but Martins et al got outpositioned by opposing defenders,

        5. how their correct positioning influenced the movement of Seattle midfielders (i.e., did their teammates feel safe pushing forward or tucking in, knowing that the backs would properly cover the wing?)

        6. etc etc.

        I know that looks like a lot of work digging all that out, but I’m sure you can do it. And clearly you wouldn’t allow anyone to state an impression—not even yourself, right?—without having ALL the facts. Thanks!

      • DeAndre Yedlin is better than Dylan Remick. It’s pretty clear to everyone but you. There’s a reason one is in contention for a World Cup spot at 20 and the other is a second string MLS LB at 23. I like Remick a lot, but either you’re related to him or watch games with Brown colored shades on.

      • “There’s a reason one is in contention for a World Cup spot at 20 and the other is a second string MLS LB at 23.”

        Only one reason? You sure? Wouldn’t have anything to do with the Sounders’ already having Leo Gonzalez at LB, while Yedlin only had to dislodge Zach Scott? Or Yedlin being a home-grown player? Wouldn’t have something to do with the USMNT desperately trying a half dozen players at RB (only to see them get injured)?

        Also, note that saying “I think X played better than Y in the first four matches” is not the same as saying, “X is better than Y and Y should be fired!” Look, I get it: people like you and me admire Yedlin and get tired of doubters who dismiss him all the time. But I think you’re being overly protective.

      • BTW- when someone uses facts, it’s then your responsibility to refute those facts or present your own, not request more from them. Do an in depth analysis of all the positional issues Yedlin has then get back to me. My guess is you won’t, because he doesn’t have any, but I’ll be waiting with baited breath.

      • Mark, you should really save the chum for the fishes: it’s probably unhealthy and your breath will smell so bad that those around you will find their breath bated.

        “Do an in depth analysis of all the positional issues Yedlin has then get back to me. My guess is you won’t, because he doesn’t have any.”

        Seems you’ve been a bit too hasty or defensive when reading my comments. Seems you think I’m denigrating Yedlin. You’re wrong. I think Yedlin is a fantastic player and certainly belongs on this XI. (PS. “Brown colored shades”? Really?! Hey Mark, Mike Godwin called….)

        Sorry that I’m shirking my “responsibility” to respond to your cherry-picked fact-based argument by playing by your rules. Then again, maybe I’m just sad that you missed the obvious point: there are a lot of ways that a player contributes that can be noticed but not easily quantified.

      • Also just a few other things…Remick is not a rookie. He’s a 23 year old second year player. Further, he is absolutely not faster than Yedlin. No idea where you get these things from.

      • I agree with you on most points, but I seem to recall that Remick beat Yedlin on the beep test preseason.

      • Yedlin wasn’t in camp for the beep test. He was with the Nats. I’ve heard the same sentiment elsewhere with the same explanation.

    • Pretty simple. The team is selected based on their performance in MLS matches, and while he did have a monster game against RSL in the opening game, his body of work over the three MLS matches in March wasn’t quite enough to get him in. I know he’s been a rare bright spot in a pretty disappointing month for San Jose, but his March wasn’t all that big.

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